Many great topics came up during the question and answer session after our last Webinar. Read on to find out what was on attendees’ minds and how Brennan and Chris answered their questions.

Q. What would you recommend in terms of getting started with a mobile marketing program?

A. Although mobile marketing is very technology oriented, strategy is still the most important component. As you would for any marketing effort, establish your objectives and how you will determine success before you get started: What do you want the program to accomplish? Why should you add mobile to your marketing mix right now?

Once you’ve answered these questions, create an achievable plan – what campaigns you’ll start with, what you’ll test first and what you’ll test after your first round of results. Then determine what your program will entail – informational alerts? Sweepstakes? Special offers? Create a compelling program with an attractive and relevant offer and you’ll have the foundation for an effective mobile program.

Q. What are some ways you can use mobile to build your email opt-in list?

A. There are a few simple ways to weave mobile marketing into the mix to take advantage of the mobile trend and leverage email as the cornerstone of your marketing communications.

You can offer a mobile coupon in exchange for an opt-in for emails on future specials. In other words, use a mobile-only incentive to drive people to opt in to email alerts. You can also ask attendees at conferences to text their email address to a number to join your list and receive a free guide. This is a quick and easy way to leverage mobile as a way to get email subscribers.

Another option is to text via SMS a link to your newsletter or other email content. Some people aren’t willing to subscribe to an email program but are willing to subscribe to mobile alerts from your company.

Q. How do I determine how much of my limited budget to allot for mobile marketing initiatives?

A. The short answer is, by knowing your audience. There are applications available to help you determine your mobile penetration, but this is an area where preference centers can provide what you need. Ask new subscribers about their mobile usage and preferences. And if you don’t have this information for everyone else on your list, utilize a survey or poll – including an incentive – to find it out.

Once you have a clear picture of how many of your subscribers are reading your emails on mobile devices, and what mobile devices they’re using, it becomes easier to prioritize. If your mobile readership is low, then there are probably better ways to invest your resources. But if you are seeing 20 percent or higher mobile readership, it’s time to get moving.

Q. What are some mobile best practices for B2B marketers?

A. To start with, better, faster, easier should be the B2B’s mobile mantra: companies that develop mobile strategies that make their audiences’ work-related activities better, faster and easier will win mobile hearts, minds and market share.

Also, audit your existing content to see how it can be repurposed for the mobile audience. To give some examples: video is a terrific platform to convey otherwise long articles, audio is wonderful for summarizing case studies. Instead of long articles, opt for short, 100-word posts that help your specific market stay up-to-date on small screens.

Finally, don’t sell: help your audience instead. Trust me, your market doesn’t want a pitch. They never did — but on their most personal mobile devices, a sales pitch will enrage, rather than engage. Think how you can use mobile to help them do their jobs better to stay ahead of the competition and remain relevant in these fast-paced, forever-in-flux times.

Q. For retailers, what makes the difference between a poorly optimized mobile website and an effective one? Are there key elements that should always be included?

A. This is a really important question because recent studies indicate that eighty percent of consumers immediately quit mobile shopping due to bad experiences with poorly operating mobile sites. So whether you’re planning to launch a mobile site or have one that hasn’t performed to expectations, take the time to ask yourself some questions: Does the site provide an easy way to find information that busy shoppers need on the go?

• Can they quickly find your address and contact information?
• Do you provide click-to-call functionality, mapping accessibility and driving directions to make visiting your store as simple as one click?
• What about product pages; how many clicks does it take to arrive at such information?

Keeping these questions in mind as you’re working with your mobile site can provide a good foundation for delivering the mobile experience you want for your customers.

About the Authors:

Brennan Carlson is VP of Corporate Strategy & Business Development at Lyris.
Chris Benkert is Business Analyst and Training Manager at Lyris.

About the Author:

Chris Benkert

Chris Benkert is Engagement Engineer and Training Specialist at Lyris. He consults with clients on many facets of digital marketing, with emphasis on providing full service Web analytics reporting and creative review.